Greenwich Forest Garden, Amherst MA

by admin on July 19, 2010

The development of Greenwich Forest Garden began in 2007 when the site was bare eroding soil and is ongoing. This lush area of the Hampshire College campus displays of a type of land use that awknowledges the ecosystem niches of plants and animals (including humans) by mimicking ecosystem patterns and structure, while producing food and useful materials. Greenwich Forest Garden is an example of human habitat, a term used to describe outdoor spaces designed to provide for our nutrition, recreation, social, psychological and spiritual needs.

The garden also serves as a “living musem” of plant species valuable to local families and farms and are propagated to provide valuable plant tissue at minimal cost. There are over 40 different types of fruiting plants in the garden out of approximately 80 total species. The garden is maintained by volunteers and students of the Summer Garden Internship program. In May, 2010 the garden served as an outdoor learning space for students of the Hampshire College Permaculture Design Course.

The site showing bare, eroding soil in 2007

Hampshire student Evan Wagner investigates a young pawpaw tree, 2009

Satellite Images

Radial pathways from residences linked by a main path surround "Donut 1"

The most developed area of garden, showing benches, flower petal bed, standing stones surrounded by hazel & elderberry and two walkers on a pathway.

About Delicious Habitat

Delicious Habitat evaluates the needs of individuals, families and institutions to create perennial landscapes that produce varied and abundant foods, medicines and goods.

The resulting designed ecosystems are resilient, stable and long-lived while providing valuable niches for numerous species of wildlife and rare plants.

A consequence of using permaculture principles is that direct links between people and land are re-created. This ultimately benefits us, our local ecology and life on planet earth.